Are you looking to pick your first FFXIV Job class or level up in Final Fantasy 14 Online? With 19 classes to choose from, it can be a bit intimidating. Luckily, as a certified content completionist, Wiley here to help. In this article, Wiley will break down the five main roles and their respective classes in Final Fantasy 14 and explain how each class plays and their core mechanics at max level.

• Gunbreaker and Warriors and Dark Knights
• White mages
• Shield healers and pure healers
• Astrologist
• Sage
• Monk
• Dragoon
• Ninjas and Samurai
• Black Mage
• Red Mage
• Bard and Machinist
• Dancers

Gunbreaker and Warriors and Dark Knights
Tanks are the first role to engage in combat and are responsible for taking the brunt of the damage and keeping the party safe. Paladins, for example, are holy protectors who use a combination of physical and magical attacks, as well as shields and heals to reduce incoming damage and protect their party. Warriors, on the other hand, use their massive health bars to reduce damage and their high damage output to decimate the enemy. Dark Knights, who channel the darkness within them, are able to shield and deal damage and use a cutting-edge burst combo that rivals some DPS classes. Gunbreakers, lastly, use their gun blades to execute high-damage combos and access powerful regeneration abilities to keep the party alive.

White mages
White mages are some of the most versatile healers in FFXIV. With their large array of both single-target and area-of-effect healing spells, they can keep a party alive and well in even the most intense of fights. But that’s not all: every 30 seconds, white mages have the potential to cast a powerful, free single target or area of effect heal. This is a great way to keep a party’s health bars topped up even when they’re taking a lot of damage.

Shield healers and pure healers
who is responsible for keeping the party's health bars above zero. There are two types of healers: pure healers, who use healing spells to keep the party healthy, and shield healers, who use shields and mitigation to prepare for incoming damage. Every healer has access to a resurrection spell that can bring a party member back from the dead. Shield healers, on the other hand, are all about preemptive protection. With the ability to summon a fairy that can provide additional healing or shielding, they can help keep their party ahead of the game in terms of health and safety. Shield healers also have a special gauge of three charges that they can use to increase damage or provide extra protection to their party. The charges can be replenished with a short rest or by eating their fairy, which makes them a great choice for those who need to stay on the go.

Astrologist
The last healer on this list is the Astrologian. Using their trusty planispheres, astrologians are able to predict incoming damage and mitigate it before it hits. They also have a card system that can provide additional healing, damage, or buffs to their party members. These cards can be drawn from a deck, giving astrologians the potential to gain increased mana regeneration, reduced cast times, and increased damage. Astrologians also have a second card system that can provide free damage or healing. Managing all of these cards requires quick decisions and precise timing, making the Astrologian an ideal choice for those who want to stay one step ahead of the game.

Sage
The Sage is here to defend their party and friends, and they do it in style by providing flashy animations. Not only can they dish out high personal DPS, but they also heal for free! All you have to do is slap this little thing on a party member and watch the healing come in. Plus, Sages have strong shields and mitigation tools to help with incoming damage that the boss may throw. They can also modify their abilities to create different effects, such as turning a standard damage button into damage over time or a standard heal into a heal with a shield.

Monk
The Monk is the most technical Melee DPS role, but also the most rewarding. They have a fluid rotation that lets them swap between different damage combos, and they're the only ones who can use their bare fists to fight. Monks also have the shortest delay between casts, making them very fast and agile. They don't have a leap back, so they must run away from the danger, which can be difficult but also teaches them to reflect on their actions.

Dragoon
The Dragoon is an airborne assailant who deals massive damage, closes gaps, and even creates gaps between their enemies. They also increase the party's critical hit rate, and they use their jumps to unleash draconic magics. Dragoons also like to throw things that look like dragons, which can activate powerful magics and unlock the mother of all jumps! Not only do they own the skies, but they also own party buffs.

Ninjas and Samurai
Both classes specialize in dealing massive amounts of damage but in different ways. Ninjas are the sneaky slicers and dicers, using a combination of hand signs and jutsus to quickly deal damage from a distance. They use a buff rotation to keep their attacks coming in fast and powerful, and even have the ability to make shadow clones of themselves to mimic their next few moves. Samurai, on the other hand, focus on personal performance with their katana, relying on their combos to build up a resource to expend on extra stabs and slashes. Reapers are a class that is heavily reliant on personal performance as well. They use a combination of swinging their sides and letting their void avatar partially possess them to summon a flurry of blows on their enemy. They also have the ability to open a void portal that allows them to slip away and back into battle.

Black Mage
Final Fantasy 14 Online also has range casters, such as the Black Mage, who use arcane powers to cast spells of destruction from a distance. They must remain stationary for the majority of their gameplay but are rewarded with some of the highest damage numbers in the game. Summoners also focus on dealing with damage, but with a unique twist. They use a rotation of five different summons that range from hard-hitting to light and fast.

Red Mage
The Red Mage's playstyle revolves around their cast system, which requires them to balance out two different resources while trying to keep them as equal as possible. When enough resources are reached, they can unleash a powerful melee combo followed by flashy finishers. Red Mages also have strong movement options to keep themselves out of harm’s way, as well as a consistent dash-in and dash-out ability.

Bard and Machinist
Such as the Bard and Machinist, is also popular amongst players. Bards use their lute and recorder to play different ballads that buff their teammates or alter their gameplay in some way. Bards also have access to a powerful arrow that damages everything it passes through. Machinists use their guns to provide sustained damage and support to their party members, with a simple damage rotation that cycles through different rounds. They also have access to a mech that beats the heck out of whatever they're attacking.

Dancers
Dancers use their alluring moves to slice all enemies that dare interrupt their show. They buff their dance partner and themselves, granting extra damage upon completing a number of dance moves. They have a party-wide damage buff that they must dance to complete and heal.

Conclusion
No matter what job you choose to level up in Final Fantasy, you're sure to have a blast. Finding the right job class for you can be a daunting task, but hopefully, this article has helped you narrow down your choices. So go out there and show everyone your moves!